Leadville, Colorado — You may not have heard about it, but Colorado’s newest ski area technically opened up last week.
The Colorado Mountain College Leadville campus is situated next to the site of a former ski area. The Dutch Henry ski area operated for a few decades, but was partially abandoned. Eventually, it was converted into a tubing hill, but didn’t feature lift-service operations.
It came as a surprise earlier this year when Colorado Mountain College announced that it would use the ski area as a training ground for its Ski Area Operations program. The college was able to acquire the former Rough Rider surface lift from Steamboat and will eventually be installed on the hill. Work is underway to prepare the mountain for winter, and some students have already begun skiing there.
Photos and videos shared by Colorado Mountain College show snowmaking operations are underway. A few skiers even got their gear out to hit a rail.
However, it sounds like lift-serviced operations won’t be happening this season. According to The Herald Democrat, the college will need to raise $500,000 to install the platter lift. The goal is to install it next season, with an opening for the 2026-27 season.
Public snow tubing will remain a part of the plan. Colorado Mountain College aims to extend the tubing hill further up the mountain and eventually install two magic carpets. Other ideas include a beginner learning area, a new base area hut, and adding mountain biking trails.
Those outside of the Colorado Mountain College realm will likely have to wait a while before skiing there. It is unlikely to be open to the public, as it will primarily serve as a training ground for students to learn about ski area operations. However, the site could eventually be used for training (ski racing) and hosting kids for lessons. If it’s a successful operation, it seems inevitable that some public skiing will occur to some extent.
Image/Video Credits: Colorado Mountain College
